Nejat Newsletter - ISSUE 20

8/14/2019 Nejat Newsletter - ISSUE 20

1/12

Captive in the

Chains of Fob

Antoine Gessler, a promi-nent French writer, is the

author of the book shown

above which has beenpublished in France about

the deeds of the MKO

Symposium on Terrorism in I raq

Centre for Inter-national and In-

ter-governmentalStudies of the

University of

Baghdad Thurs-day, 31st of Janu-

ary 2008.

A round table dis-cussion centred onthe issue of terror-ism in Iraq andpossible solutionsto this problem.

The Symposiumwas divided in to 3parts:- the generalthreat posed byterrorist groups andthe ways they op-

erate in Iraq- foreign terroristorganisations inIraq- the creation ofterrorist organisa-tions in Iraq andthe global support-ers of these terror-ist groups

Participants of theSymposium ranged

from university pro-fessors including,Dr. Aziz Jabar Sha-yal, Dr. SamirAlshweely and Dr.Rasheed Saleh,professors of Politi-cal Studies fromthe University ofBaghdad. The Sym-posium was alsoattended by many

governmental andnon-governmentalr ep resen ta t i vesfrom a wide rangeof ministries andNGOs, includingrep resen ta t i vesfrom Iraqs Minis-tries of Defence,

Human Rights andSecurity.

Massoud Khoda-bandeh from theCentre de recher-ches sur le terror-isme depuis le 11septembre 2001(Paris), who was inBaghdad for meet-ings concerning thefate of the remain-ing individuals fol-

lowing dismantle-ment of Camp Ash-raf which housesthe disarmed Ira-nian terrorist or-ganisation Mojahe-din Khalq Organisa-tion, was invited toparticipate in thediscussion.Prominent amongthe participantswas Mr. Bassam

Alhassani, advisorto Prime MinisterNoori Al Maleki.The Symposiumended with a fullreport on the issuesdiscussed and Dr.Aziz Jabar Shayaldelivered the endresolution in whichone paragraph em-phasized the neces-

sity for the disman-tlement and depor-tation of the foreignterrorist MojahedinKhalq organisationand encouragementand facilitation bythe governmentand others to help

the remaining indi-viduals find a safepalace outside Iraqand return to nor-mal life.The symposiumwas covered bymedia representa-tives who reportedfrom the meetingroom.Alaraghia televi-sion, Iraqs main TVnetwork, reported

the Symposium andbroadcast a briefinterview with Mas-soud Khodabandeh.In the interview,Massoud Khoda-bandeh emphasisedabove all the rightof the Iraqi peopleto enjoy securityand have justiceserved against theperpetrators of vio-

lent acts in theircountry, in particu-lar the criminalheads of the terror-ist Mojahedin-eKhalq organisationwhich was involvedin the massacre ofthe Kurdish andShiite uprisingsagainst SaddamHussein in March

ISSUE NO 20

18 FEBRUARY 2008Nejat Newsletter

THE BRIEFING PUBLICATION OF NEJAT SOCIETY

Symposium on Ter-rorism in Iraq

1, 5

A letter from DrTorabi on behalf of 8UNHCR refugees

2

Letter of the IranianPen Club to Presi-dent Talebani of Iraq

3, 4

Massoud Rajavi andthe Paranoia ofPower

4

The end of modernslavery

6

MKO terrorists ar-rested in Iraq

6

British Moslem com-munity delegationvisited the NejatSociety

7

Iran sees less threatin exiled MKO mili-

tant

8, 9

Danish Gov. is deter-mined to prevent

activities of MKO

9

The week on the Hill 10,11,

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Cont. Page 5


2/12

A letter from Dr Torabi on behalf of 8 UNHCR refugees

NEJAT NEWSLETTER PAG E 2

Aria Iran,January 24, 2008

http:/ / ww w.ariairan.com/ ?mod=view&id=3020

Dear Mr. Speaker,Im writing to you on be-half of the following 8UNHCR recognized refugeeswho have been forced byTurkish Security and Politi-cal Police under gun fire toleave Turkey and cross theborder back into Iraq :Abdollahi, Ali

Adel, Hassan

Azari, NasrollahEslamizadeh, KaramGhorbanzadeh, Rameza

Mohebbi, HamidNemati, Hassan

Zolfaghaari, KamranThese 8 people aged 30-50are from a larger group of200 Iranian nationals andformer members of Moja-heddin Khalkh Organization(MKO), an opposition groupfighting against the IslamicRepublic of Iran. Following

Saddams downfall, thesepeople seized the opportu-nity to leave MKO and takerefuge in an American-runcamp called Temporary In-ternational Presence Facility(TIPF) to await their des-tiny (i.e., being sent toEuropean countries as refu-gees). They are all UN rec-ognized refugees, each car-rying three identificationdocuments: an Iraqi Gov-

ernments issued LesserPasser card, a UNHCRRefugee ID, and a CoalitionForces issued ID.About 4 weeks ago, Ameri-can Forces in TIPF beganfreeing these people fromthe camp in groups of 4 to8 people and providing se-cure passage to various cit-ies in Kordestan , Iraq ,e.g., Moussell, Erbil.

Avoiding arrest by Kurdishpolice and extradition toIran , many of them began

heading north to Turkey.Upon entering Turkey atthe Iraq-Turkey border line,they were all arrested bythe Turkish Security Police(in charge of foreigners)and moved to various pris-ons inside Turkey.These 8 people, after twoweeks in prison, were toldto get ready to be movedto the city of Shirnak(Center of Silopi Region )

for processing their request(to be formally recognizedas UN refugees and allowedto contact UNHCR repre-sentatives in Turkey for re-settlement in a safe 3rdcountry.) Instead, theywere taken to the Turkey-Iraqi border post at Habooron the Turkey side (calledEbrahim Araghi on the Iraqside) in order to send themback to Iraq. Iraqi officialsat the border-crossing re-fused to allow them entryto Iraq . Turkish SecurityPolice then decided to forcethese people back into Iraqby taking them to a nearbyunmanned border pointwith a river marking theborder line between thetwo countries. There, theTurkish soldiers strippedthese 8 people of theirmoney and valuable per-sonal belongings and under

the command of TurkishSecurity Police forced them(by firing warning shots) tocross the river into Iraq.These 8 people, are now ina border city called Zakhooin Iraq and in eminent dan-ger of being arrested by theIraqi police and extraditedto Iran.By writing this letter, Iwould like to report to you

this unprecedented level ofviolation of human rights aswell as the negligence of

basic rights of UNHCR rec-ognized refugees by yourborder and security policeand to appeal to you foryour help to intervene onbehalf of these 8 and closeto 200 other former MKOmembers who are kept inPrisons in Turkey. Pleaseact from the position of au-thority and responsibilityand use whatever meansavailable to you to ensure

that the Turkish Govern-ment respect the minimumrights of these people asUNHCR refugees and allowthem to contact UNHCRrepresentatives in Turkeyfor a safe passage to andresettlement in a countrywithin European Union.Yours Truly

M. Torabi

Ms Fariba Hashtrudi,the former member of

NCR (alias of MKO),

w rote her memoirs in abook called my return

from Iran after shehad a couple of trips to

Tehran. The book has

been published inFrance. Ms Hashtrudi is

now a well-known

journalist in P aris.


3/12

Letter of the Iranian Pen Club to President Talebani of Iraq


Mr Talebani,

The Honourable Presi-

dent of Iraq

Respectfully, we would like toacknowledge that the GhalamAssociation is consisted ofthose ex-members of the MKOwho managed to free them-selves from the mental andeven physical barriers of theOrganisation. The main objectof the Association is of courseto try to help the previous com-rades in such way that they beable to free themselves too and

start a decent normal life againalong with their families andbeloved ones.

When Saddam Husseins re-gime in Iraq was removed,some terrorist organisationswith regional and internationalactivities lost their only godfa-ther and benefactor. One ofthese organisations is the Mo-

jahedin-e Khalq organisation,listed as a terrorist entity in theUS since 1997 and the EUsince a year ago.

There is one undeniable factthat MKO and its National Lib-eration Army (NLA) have beenan inseparable part of SaddamHusseins Regime and haveeven participated along theforces of the Deposed Despotto suppress the People ofIraqs freedom movement in1991. The Organisation is alsoresponsible for many sabotageand terrorist activities insideIran through the years.

The top members of the organi-sation, who are currently await-ing trial in both Iraq andFrance, are desperately tryingto clear their names by distanc-ing themselves from their co-operation with the IntelligenceServices and the Army of theBaath Party in Iraq, and theirparticipation in the massacre ofcivilians in Iraq and Iran. This isdespite the presence of over-whelming evidence and docu-ments showing their engage-

ment in the massacre of bothIranian and Iraqi civilians, aswell as a large number of wit-

nesses who have been withthis organisation and, afteryears of imprisonment and tor-ture, have distanced them-selves from this organisationwhich has turned to a militarycult. These witnesses can ver-ify this evidence and docu-ments and are ready to testifyin any international court of

justice.

- We have emphasized toyou and the Prime Minister ofIraq Mr. Al Maleki that the re-

maining 3400 members of theRajavi cult in Ashraf camp nearKhales are part of the body ofthis organisation, many ofwhom have themselves beenexperiencing mental and physi-cal torture at the hands of theleaders of the Mojahedin. Theyhave been denied any contactwith society or even membersof their family for years andtheir account should be sepa-rated from the account of theleaders of the cult. You are

aware that more than 200 ofthem who have separatedthemselves from the Mojahedinare still in the adjacent campcalled TIPF and need help toget back to the normal societyand integrate

But according to the news re-ceived in the last few days byIran-Ghalam (IRAN-PEN) asso-ciation, the condition of disaf-fected members of MojahedinKhalq Organisation who arenow accommodated in the

TIPF part of Ashraf Camp iscritically dangerous. Some per-sonalities have already raisedconcern not the least Mr. Mo-hammed Hasibi who has writ-ten an open letter today, 21December 2007 raising hisdeep concern about the situa-tion of these people. A copy ofthis letter is attached.

Also, we would like to acknowl-edge that Mostafa and Ma-hbobeh Mohammady arrived

in Iraq from Canada to makeanother attempt to secure theirdaughter Somayeh's freedom

from the MKO cult. MostafaMohammady had meetingswith the Iraqi Deputy PrimeMinister and the Deputy Headof the Judiciary. By January 12,Canadian Government officialswarned that the Mohammadyslives cannot be guaranteed inIraq because of the threatposed by loose MKO person-nel.

The American Force in Iraq areplanning to close down theTIPF Camp in Ashraf, where

the dissident members of theMojahedin-e-Kalq Organization(MKO) take refuge leaving theorganization, or the force willmove the camp to other place(most likely into city of Mousel).

For the past 2-3 weeks, abouthundred and ten residences ofthe TIPF have been left on theirown in an unsafe situation inIraq. Some of these peopledecided to enter Turkey to seeka safer place. While entering into Turkey some of these people

were arrested and one of themhas been shot and is now ad-mitted in one of the hospital ina boarder of Turkey and Iraqwith life threaten injuries, andthe rest are also in life threat-ening situation with not a safefuture ahead. We have a list ofthe 70 names of these peopleenclosed in this letter.

It is necessary to bring to yourattention that closing the TIPFin the city of Khales where theTIPF ,is presently located will

cause a disaster for the dissi-dent members in the Ashrafsince they have no hope andsafe place to go leaving Ash-raf. The presence of TIPF inAshraf was lasso a threat forMojahedin; therefore, theyMKO were insisting for closingor cancelling the TIPF.

Sir, we would like to ask you,why the TIPF should be closeddown before the Ashraf to becancelled and the MKO to be


4/12

Massoud Rajavi and the Paranoia of Power

Letter of the Iranian Pen Club to President Talebani of Iraq


them to only refer to theirself-created fantasy. Disas-ter occurs when the reali-ties of the outside worldthreaten to destroy theirmisinterpretation.Massoud Rajavi, the leaderof the Mojahedin-e KhalqOrganisation (MKO) of Iran,is an example of an idealis-tic leader whose absolutepower over his followers inthe organisation has bothshattered his ideals andincreased his self-delusion.

As Rajavi discovered hispower over the organisa-tion to be unlimited, he dis-tanced himself from therealities of life in both hissayings and in his actions.To this end the picture ofthe social and political lifeof the people of Iran todayis totally different fromwhat he sees or talksabout. He is miles awayfrom today's world.

Massoud Rajavi is so cer-tain about the outcome ofthe manipulation of themembers of his organisa-tion with his ideas that hedoes not see the rows ofpeople tired of his"ideological revolution" andthose who are trying to es-cape the boundaries ofCamp Ashraf in Iraq. He is,of course, not worriedabout the increasing critics

and opponents to his poli-cies and ideas. According tohis so-called revolutionarycriteria, those who leavehim or turn against him aretraitors who will sooner orlater destroy themselves bytheir own hands.Rajavi is a charismaticleader who enjoys thenatural supremacy of allsuch leaders over his fol-lowers. He has managed toinstil his own fear andparanoia in the minds of his

followers so that they arealso unable to see the truthof the outside world. Cur-rently the world is deeplyconcerned about the out-break of further wars andconflict here and there, andpeople are working hardeverywhere to prevent this.But living in his own self-deluded world Massoud Ra-

javi is strongly disturbedthat there is no war and

that the US does notquickly launch a militarilyattack on Iran.Today Massoud Rajavi hasgone into hiding and doesnot give public appearances- apparently for reasons ofsecurity. But he is in factliving in his own dreamworld of self-delusion andthe nightmare of fear as alltotalitarians of his kindmust do.

Ebrahim Khodabandeh,15 November 2007

Self-delusion is most ap-parent in those politicianswho least consider theirsupporters and their peoplein the policies and strate-gies which they pursue.These are the kind of lead-ers who do not see the fearin the faces of the peopleunder their autocracy.Rather they relate all suchsigns of disfavour to theexternal enemy. When they

do find their internal oppo-nents standing opposed tothem, they become aston-ished and fail to analysethe situation realistically.Self-delusion is the scourgeof power that has no popu-lar support. Self-delusion isthe illness of those who areunable to evaluate theirpower and do not under-stand their true position ineither the international or

internal political scene. Thisinability means there is al-ways a vast divergence be-tween the minds of suchpoliticians and real life. Onthe one hand they are arro-gant of their growingpower, and on the otherhand pass their lives in fearof their enemies; and fi-nally they become the vic-tims of their own phobia.Their self-delusion directs

expelled from Iraq, and why didyou make a decision to shotdown the TIPF, where the

place was the hope for the peo-ple who would decide to leavethe MKO and now might nothave a safe place in Iraq to go.

We are prepared to hand overthe names and particulars ofthe discontented members andthose who wish to defect fromthe organisation as well as nec-

essary files and documents.

With many thanks and regards

22.01.2008

The Iranian Pen ClubPostfach 90 06 6351116 [email protected]@hotmail.de 00491759726840

00491639076911

Copy to:The Representative of theInternational Committee of

the Red Cross in GenevaThe United Nation's GeneralSecretary

The Human Rights WatchThe Minister of HumanRights of the Republic of IraqThe Representative of theInternational Committee ofthe Red Cross in Iraq


5/12

Symposium on Terrorism in I raq (cont. from p1)


countries with the Mojahe-din Khalq Organisation, and

the way this relationship isbecoming clear in the esca-

1991. Mr Khodabandeh saidthat in his belief and ac-cording to all the studies ofthe Centre de Recherchessur le Terrorisme, the phe-nomenon of terrorism can-not have a single solutionand needs inter govern-mental cooperation as wellas the involvement of NGOsto protect the human rightsof the who have been invei-gled by terrorist leadersinto this path, and to givethem a second chance of

integration back into theirsocieties.

Thanking the organisers ofthe Symposium Mr Khoda-bandeh emphasised thecult culture of terrorist or-ganisations and the meth-

ods they use to brainwashtheir followers. He alsogave examples of foreignsupport by some influentialgroups and parties who fa-cilitate the flow of financefor terrorism. Not the leastthe relationship betweenthe remainders of SaddamHussein in Iraq, London,Washington and other

lation of violence in Diyaliprovince as well as the

streets of London and otherEuropean countries.The Symposium lasted forover two hours. Afterwardsthe participants formedsmaller groups to further

discuss the variety of is-sues raised by the Seminar.A full report and media

coverage will be publishedshortly.


6/12


Mohammadi Family,23 January 2008

http://toeme.blogfa.com/

The efforts made by Mo-stafa Mohammadi and hiswife Mahbubeh with thesupport of their childrenMohammad, Morteza, andHurieh who are in Canadafor three months have paidoff. Accepting every risk inIraq and with the supportof human rights activists

and the people of Iraq andsome of the former mem-bers and the families of theMojahedin Khalq Organisa-tion (MKO) members theMohammadis brought theircase before an Iraqi court.They charged that they hadbeen beaten and an at-tempt at kidnap was madeby members of the MKO on7 December 2007. Theyalso protested to the courtagainst the captivity oftheir daughter Somayehwho was taken to CampAshraf in Iraq in 1998 whenshe was 17 and chargedthat their son Mohammad

Mohammadi was detainedillegally by the MKO for five

years from 1999 when hewas only 15 years old.The Mohammadi family ap-proached human rights or-ganizations and an Iraqiattorney alolng with UN of-ficials in Iraq and someIraqi government ministers.The fruit of their effortswas that the judge of theBaghdad Criminal Courtissued an arrest warrantagainst Abbas Davari, the

political liaison of MKO inCamp Ashraf, Mozhgan Par-saii, the Commander of Ra-

javi's army in Iraq andSediqeh Hoseini, the Secre-tary General of the MKO onthe charges of kidnappingand taking hostages. The

judge also ordered thatSomayeh must be takenaway from Camp Ashrafand the MKO must paycompensation to theMohammadi family.

This is the first official ver-dict against the MKO by theIraqi Judicial system andhas been issued by one ofthe highest and most influ-

group were arrested in theraid.

The European Union, theUnited States and other

members of the interna-tional community haveblacklisted the MKO as aterrorist organization.

Sat, 09 Feb 2008

Iraqi police has an-

nounced the arrest of anumber of Mujahedin

K h a l q O r g a n i z a t i o n(MKO) members in a

raid on rogue elements

in Karbala.

Karbala police spokesper-son, Rahman Mshawi saidfour of the fifteen detaineesare affiliated with the MKOterrorists. Other sourcesclaim six members of the

The end of modern slavery, Verdict to arrest three leading of ficials

of the MKO on kidnapping and hostage taking charges

MKO terrorists arrested in Iraq

The group, which assistedSaddam in the massacre ofthousands of innocentIraqis, is responsible for

several acts of terror inIran including the 1994bombing of Imam Reza'sholy shrine in Mashhad.

ential courts in Baghdad.Regarding the verdict given

by the court, the Moham-madi family is continuingtheir campaign to finallyrelease their captivedaughter from the hands ofthe destructive, terroristMKO cult. They hope thatthey can start a move toend the modern slaveryof the Rajavi Cult. Manyindividuals were taken toIraq by Rajavi when theywere underage and forced

to work hard and as a re-sult many of them sufferfrom various mental andphysical disorders.The Mohammdi family be-lieve that this first victorywhich they worked so hardto achieve belongs to allthe suffering families ofMKO members held men-tally and physically captivein Camp Ashraf in Iraq. Theleaders of the MKO must betaken to court for brain-

washing their members andisolating them from theoutside world and banningthem from contacting theirfamilies.


7/12

Hura Shalchi, Ms. MarjanMalek, Mr. Ebrahim Khoda-

bandeh and Mr. Jamil Bas-sam while some represen-tatives from the British Em-bassy in Tehran as well asfamilies of the MKO mem-bers in Ashraf Camp werepresent.

The seven members of thedelegation each repre-sented a British Moslemestablishment which totallycovers a good deal of Mos-

lem community in Britain.After the members of dele-gation heard the report ofthe MKO activities they em-phasised that they areaware of the ideas and ac-tions of the MKO and their

so-called "Ideological Revo-lution" and find them con-

trary to the Islamic teach-ings. A lady lawyer from

British Moslem community delegation visited the Nejat Society


Neja t Society, Tehran,

February 13, 2008

http:/ / www .nejatngo.or

g/ index_en.php?news_i

d=807

A delegation from the Brit-

ish Moslem community vis-

ited the Nejat Society in

Tehran

On Monday 5 February

2008, a delegation consist-ing of representatives ofdifferent Moslem organisa-tions and societies in Brit-ain, who were busy visitingIran, paid a visit to the Ne-

jat (rescue) Society in Te-hran. They met with Ms.

the delegation pointed outthat the way the MKO

treats the issue of familyvalues is exactly the sameway as deviated cults in thewest do which has nothingto do with Islamic teach-ings.

The families present at themeeting described their ac-counts and that of theirchildren and explained howit is for many years thatthey are unaware of the

situation of their belovedones and have no contactwith them. The members ofthe delegation were over-come by emotions whenthey heard of the families'stories so that some of

them practically startedcrying.

The members of the dele-gation admired the humani-tarian activities of NejatSociety and wished endur-ance and success for thesuffering families of the

MKO members in AshrafCamp. They pointed outthat the MKO like all otherterrorist organisations suchas Al-Qaeda have no placeamongst the British Moslemcommunity and are desig-nated as a diverted cultwhich is a threat for thesecurity of the society andthe family structure.


8/12

Iran sees less threat in exiled MKO militants


Scott PetersonStaff writer of TheChristian ScienceMonitor

11 February 2008

Gholam Reza Sadeghi felt cer-tain of his fate if he ever re-turned to Iran: torture andexecution, given his years as amember of the antiregime Mu-jahideen-e Khalq, or "People'sHoly Warriors."But stuck in a crowded campin Iraq with 3,400 other mem-bers of the MKO under USmilitary guard, Mr. Sadeghifinally had had enough. Hewanted out, and to see hisson.So he came back to the Is-lamic Republic, which impris-oned him for five years in the1980s for participating in agroup labeled "terrorist" byboth Washington and Tehran.Yet some American officialsview the MKO - disarmed butstill intact - as a possible toolof regime change against Iran.And the MKO's continued pres-ence in Iraq aggravates US-Iran tensions.What Sadeghi found was asoft-touch amnesty that he

had never been told of in theMKO camp. His case couldresonate with the 100 or soother Iranian militants whohave been allowed to leave thecamp in recent weeks, afraidto return to Iran and runninginto trouble in Kurdish north-ern Iraq and upon enteringTurkey."Because I had been in prison,I expected to go back toprison, torture, and execu-

tion," says Sadeghi, who wasdetained for a week and then

let go. "They said [the MKO] isnot a threat. [They said,] 'Weknow you were a victim your-self, who thought you weredoing something good for yourcountry but were deceived bya cult.' "The MKO (or MEK) in 2002tipped off the world to Iran'ssecret uranium-enrichmentprogram - with the help of Is-rael, many analysts have con-cluded. It now says the recentfindings of a US National Intel-ligence Estimate were wrong

and that Iran restarted a nu-clear- weapons program in2004. UN inspectors, however,say that much of the informa-tion the UN has received fromthe group in recent years hasa political purpose and hasbeen wrong.No nation has taken the mili-tants who left Camp Ashraf,north of Baghdad, some ofthem carrying US military let-ters for travel to Turkey.Documents of the UN HighCommissioner for Refugees

show that at one point in theirsaga nearly two weeks ago, 19were turned back to Iraq byTurkey, dozens were picked upin Kurdish northern Iraq andsome forced to return to thedangers of central Iraq, and26 were missing.The situation highlights thesensitivity of Camp Ashraf,which has been virtually off-limits to journalists since thefall of Saddam Hussein. Ac-cording to some of the 340former MKO members who

have returned to Iran with theInternational Committee of theRed Cross (ICRC), the MKOcontrols all aspects of life inthe camp. Numbers havedropped: Only 12 returned toIran in all of 2007, and threemore in mid-January."We don't have the impressionthat these people are harassedor bothered, ... mainly be-cause the families and the[Iranian] authorities want

them to come back," says An-dreas Schweizer, until recently

the ICRC protection officer inTehran. "We haven't heard ofany problems so far."Indeed, in 2005, when theMonitor followed up privatelyon the story of one returnee,his mother complained aboutthe lack official reintegrationhelp. There had been no gov-ernment interference either,she said.The MKO's checkered and vio-lent history has kept it on theUS and European terrorist list.The MKO killed several Ameri-

can military advisers and civil-ians in Iran in the 1970s,played a key role in Iran's1979 Islamic Revolution, andsupported the US Embassyseizure before breaking awayand launching attacks thathave killed scores of seniorIranian officials.Exiled first to France and thenexpelled in 1986, the MKO wasgiven safe haven, weapons,and cash from Saddam Hus-sein. Though he used it tofight Iran during the Iran-Iraq

war - an act that soured mostIranians toward the group -and to help quell local upris-ings in 1991, the MKO todayportrays itself as a democraticI ranian government- in-waiting.MKO coleader Maryam Rajavi,as quoted recently in the Opin-ion pages of the Monitor,claims substantial under-ground support in Iran, andsaid US labeling of Iran'sRevolutionary Guard as a ter-rorist group is a "clear testa-

ment and an indispensableprelude to democratic changein Iran."But analysts dispute claims ofbroad support. "They are sodiscredited in Iran that I can'timagine they have any socialbasis," says Ervand Abraha-mian, an Iran historian at theCity University of New Yorkand author of "The IranianMojahedin," a study of theMKO.


9/12


"I think you would find thecurrent President [Mahmoud]

Ahmadinejad more democraticthan the Mujahideen," saysMr. Abrahamian. "Even in theearly 1970s, it had turned intoa cult organization.... The re-maining members ... will dowhatever [MKO leader Mas-soud] Rajavi tells them."The State Department's terror-ism report last year said theMKO maintains "the capacityand will to commit terroristacts in Europe, the MiddleEast, the United States, Can-ada and beyond."

The report notes the MKO's"cult-like characteristics," suchthat "new members are indoc-trinated in MEK ideology andrevisionist Iranian history[and] required to ... partici-pate in weekly 'ideologicalcleansings.' " Children areseparated from their parents,it adds, and Mrs. Rajavi "hasestablished a 'cult of personal-ity.'.The US rejected a secret 2003Iranian offer to exchange topMKO leaders for several Al

Qaeda personalities now heldin Iran."The Islamic Republic's policytoward the MKO is very clear -there is nothing hidden," says

a foreign ministry official whoasked not to be named. "In

our opinion they are a terroristcult. When it comes to cults,only the leaders are responsi-ble, and the rest are all victimsthemselves."The MKO and some in Con-gress and the Pentagon havechallenged the terrorist label.Senior Iranian officers haveaccused US forces in Iraq ofusing the MKO during interro-gations of Iranians detained inIraq. Western news reportsalso suggest that some MKOoperatives may be conducting

cross-border operations intoIran on behalf the US.Indeed, such action seemed tobe on offer to Sadeghi whenUS federal agents first ques-tioned him in Camp Ashraf in2003. After release fromprison in Iran in the 1980s, hehad fled to Canada in the1980s, where the MKO foundhim and gave him a letterfrom leader Rajavi. "The lettersaid: 'You were one of us, andsuffered in prison," recountsSadeghi. "Now you are in To-

ronto living the good life. Youforgot your brothers and sis-ters, you forgot freedom anddemocracy.'"Sadeghi left his Canadian wife,

Iran sees less threat in exiled MKO militants

broke custody rules by lettingthe MKO ship his son to his

parents in Iran, and wasmoved by the MKO to Los An-geles. His visit to Iraq wasmeant to be short-term, butthe MKO took his US passportand said they destroyed it, hesays.After US forces disarmed thegroup in 2003, the FBI metwith each member. Sadeghisays he was told that the USplanned to topple Iran's re-gime, that they wanted hishelp, and that they would en-sure his return to the US.

Sticking with the MKO wouldmean "never seeing the USagain.""I didn't believe [the FBIagent] was going to send meback to the US, or I wouldhave jumped on it," saysSadeghi. Tired of daily MKOself-criticism sessions, he fi-nally told the Americans hewanted to go to Iran. He hadnot seen his parents for 22years; his son was 16 and fullof resentment. "He asked me:'Where were you? For 10

years, no call, no postcard,' "says Sadeghi, adding that hislife was broken by the MKO."For that, he hates me."

IRNA, December 15, 2007http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-17/0712122029173709.htm

Danish Ambassador to TehranSoren Haslund conferred on

Wednesday with Head of MajlisNational Security and ForeignPolicy Commission, AlaeddinBoroujerdi on expansion ofparliamentary cooperation be-tween the two countries.At the meeting, the Danishambassador lauded the posi-tive role of the Islamic Repub-lic of Iran in fostering peaceand stability in Afghanistan.He said Denmark and Iranhave common goals in restor-ing security and stability toAfghanistan and in anti drug

fight in that country whichcould help broaden coopera-tion between the two coun-tries.Europe attaches importance toIran's decisive role in anti drugcampaign in the region, he

said.Calling the MKO as a terroristgroup, the Danish ambassadorunderlined that the Danishgovernment is determined toprevent activities of the grou-plet in the country.Boroujerdi, for his part, re-ferred to exchange of visitsbetween the European andIranian parliamentary delega-tions and said the two coun-tries enjoyed ample potentialwhich should be explored.Role of parliaments in expand-

Danish government is determined to prevent activities of MKO

ing and consolidating tiesamong countries are of primeimportance, Boroujerdi said.Referring to crises in the re-gion mainly in Afghanistan, hedescribed them as very com-plicated. He said increasing

terrorist acts and unprece-dented production of narcoticdrugs in Afghanistan is acause of concern for all coun-tries in the region.Campaign against drug traf-ficking would have an effectiveimpact on activities of terroristgroups in Afghanistan and theregion, he pointed out.Criticizing the weak role ofEurope in anti-drug fight, hecalled for more active role onthe part of Europe in dealingwith the issue.


10/12

The Week on the Hill; Lobbying & Law Touting 'Terrorists'


Julie Kosterlitz, NationalJournal, 19 January 2008National Journal Group Inc.

http:/ / nationaljournal.com/

On paper, the Mujahedeen-eKhalq sounds like the sort ofgroup the United States gov-ernment might like to culti-vate: well-organized Iranianexiles concentrated in Europeand Iraq who share Washing-ton's antipathy to the theoc-racy in Iran. The group --whose name translates as"warriors (or freedom fighters)for the people of Iran" -- hasits own "parliament in exile,"the National Council of Resis-

tance of Iran, and says it sup-ports a secular government,democracy, human rights, andwomen's rights in Iran.

In practice, however, the Ira-nian group has some majorshortcomings in the ally de-partment. For the past decade,the State Department haslisted the MEK as a "foreignterrorist organization," andmore recently has argued thatthe group displays "cult-likecharacteristics."

The MEK has been waging aspirited campaign to persuadethe U.S. to drop the terroristdesignation -- which wouldrequire either the secretary ofState's say-so or an act ofCongress.

Although the group can't makeits own case directly, in thepast several years two promi-nent former U.S. governmentofficials have been publiclytouting the MEK's virtues andarguing that the United Statesshould remove it from the ter-

rorist list.

At the moment, the morehigh-profile and influential ofthese advocates is formerHouse Majority Leader DickArmey, R-Texas, a senior pol-icy adviser at the global lawand lobbying firm DLA Piper.Last year, Armey wrote twoop-eds for Washington news-papers urging the State De-partment to drop the MEK'sterrorist designation.

"Never has the old adage 'The

enemy of my enemy is my

friend' been more true than inthe case of the MEK," he wrotein The Hill in July. And in TheWashington Times in Decem-

ber, Armey wrote, "With astroke of the pen, the secre-tary of State could, andshould, remove the Mujahe-deen-e-Khalq and the NationalCouncil of Resistance of Iranfrom the list of foreign terror-ist organizations."

In 2006, DLA Piper and GlobalOptions, a crisis-managementcompany, issued a 232-pagereport with a foreword by Ar-mey and Neil C. Livingstone,then-CEO of Global Options,aimed at refuting the U.S.

government's allegationsagainst the MEK and calling foran end to its terrorist designa-tion.

Another public advocate forthe MEK is Raymond Tanter,who was a senior staff mem-ber at the National SecurityCouncil in the Reagan admini-stration and is now an adjunctprofessor at Georgetown Uni-versity. In 2005, Tanter co-founded the nonprofit IranPolicy Committee, which lists

as directors or advisers a half-dozen former executivebranch, military, and intelli-gence officials and describesits mission as promoting a"central role for the Iranianopposition" in bringing about"democratic change" in Iran.The committee's publications,conferences, and congres-sional briefings routinely urgethe U.S. to take the MEK off itsterrorist list, as well as tomeet with and fund the group.

The MEK began as an anti-shah leftist group in the1960s. It got on the wrongside of the United States whenmembers assassinated severalof the shah's American advis-ers in the 1970s. In the threedecades since Iran became anIslamic regime, the State De-partment says, the MEK haswaged violent attacks insidethat country, and it maintainsthe "capacity and will to com-mit terrorist acts in Europe,the Middle East, the United

States, Canada, and beyond."

Over the years, the MEK hasperiodically reinvented its ide-ology, which today blends ele-ments of Marxism, Islam, and

feminism.A charismatic husband-and-wife team leads the group:Massoud Rajavi, whose where-abouts are unknown, is themilitary leader, and MaryamRajavi heads the political wingfrom France. The MEK's size isalso unknown, but the Councilon Foreign Relations estimatesthat it could have as many as10,000 members worldwide.

In 2005, Human Rights Watchissued a report detailing com-

plaints from a dozen formerMEK members that they suf-fered physical and psychologi-cal abuse while they were inthe group. The State Depart-ment says that members un-dergo indoctrination andweekly "ideological clean-sings," are separated fromtheir young children, and mustvow "eternal divorce" -- thatis, to remain unmarried or todivorce their spouse.

The U.S. invasion of Iraq in2003 took a toll on the MEK,

which had set up operationsthere after being driven out ofIran and, later, France in the1980s. Because Saddam Hus-sein had been providing thebulk of its military and finan-cial support, the State Depart-ment says, the MEK subse-quently began to use "frontorganizations" to solicit contri-butions from expatriate Ira-nian communities.

The U.S. military disarmed thegroup's foot soldiers in Iraq

and now holds some 3,500 ofthem as "protected persons"under the Geneva Conventionsat an encampment there. "Weare not embracing them, we just don't know how to[disperse] them" without put-ting their lives in danger, saysBrookings Institution seniorfellow Peter Rodman, who wasan assistant Defense secretarythrough 2006.

MEK supporters argue that thegroup has renounced violence,poses no terrorist threat, and,

in fact, presents a viable alter-


11/12



native to the theocracy in Te-hran. The terrorist designa-tion, they say, was a futileWashington sop to appease

that regime. "The U.S. govern-ment at any moment canmake that decision, and decide[that the designation] is un-warranted," says Alireza Jafar-zadeh, the former representa-tive in Washington for theNCRI, and now a self-described consultant and acommentator on Fox News.Jafarzadeh blames "politics"for Washington's failure to actand says that the MEK spendsabout 80 percent of its re-sources "to counter the conse-

quences of the designation."MEK supporters argue that thegroup provided vital intelli-gence about Iran's covert nu-clear program in 2002, as wellas about Iranian-sponsoredattacks on U.S. soldiers inIraq.

Although more than 220 mem-bers of Congress signed a let-ter in 1998 protesting thegroup's terrorist designation,the MEK's several legal chal-lenges to the designation have

failed, and legislative efforts toremove it have gone nowhere.

Despite the Bush administra-tion's tough line on the Tehranregime, the MEK's political for-tunes in the U.S. have de-clined in recent years. TheNCRI was once allowed tomaintain an office, hire lobby-ists, hold press conferences,and generally operate openlyin the United States. But inlate 2003, the administrationgot tough and the Justice De-partment shut down the office.The group still has some con-gressional supporters -- led bythe ideological odd couple ofReps. Bob Filner, D-Calif., adTom Tancredo, R-Colo.

And then there is Armey,whose history as an outspokenadvocate for the MEK ismurky. In their 2006 report,Armey and Livingstone toutedregime change in Iran throughactive support for groups suchas the MEK, but said that nei-ther the MEK nor the NCRI

provided any direction, con-

trol, or financing for the re-port. Armey's July 2007 articlehad a similar disclaimer. TheDecember 2007 article identi-

fied Armey only as the chair-man of the FreedomWorksFoundation, a free-market ad-vocacy group.

DLA Piper has received$860,000 in fees over the pastfour and a half years fromSaeid Ghaemi, whom the firmidentifies as an "Iranian-American businessman whoworks closely with the Iranian-American community in theU.S. to promote human rightsand democracy in Iran." Publicrecords identify Saeid Ghaemi

as a used-car dealer in theDenver area, but an Internetsearch turned up no informa-tion about his political workwith the Iranian-Americancommunity. When NationalJournal reached him by phoneto ask about his hiring of Ar-mey and DLA Piper, Ghaemisaid he was busy and wouldreturn the call. He failed toreturn that or subsequentcalls.

Ghaemi's brother, Tim Mehdi

Ghaemi, a Denver-area realestate manager and broker, isa longtime active supporter ofthe MEK who bills himself aspresident of the group Colo-rado's Iranian-American Com-munity.

Over the past three years, TimGhaemi has helped to organizehalf a dozen pro-MEK events,including a controversial Janu-ary 2004 fundraiser that ledthe Treasury Department tofreeze the assets of theevent's prime sponsor. In2007, he provided $8,000 forFilner to travel to Paris to de-liver a speech at an MEK rally.The Colorado group has awebsite that posts news aboutthe MEK and articles aboutTehran's persecution of its Ira-nian opponents, but NJ couldfind no information about thegroup, its members, or itsboard of directors.

Reached by phone, TimGhaemi said that his brother,Saeid, was not part of Colo-

rado's Iranian-American Com-

munity, which he called a"larger umbrella group." Hereferred to "other, smaller,organizations that work spe-

cifically on other projects"such as women's rights andthe rights of minority religiousgroups in Iran, including Chris-t ians and Jews. But"everybody, unanimously, in-side and outside [Iran] -- theysay there is no other hope"than the MEK, Tim Ghaemisaid. The United States doesnot need to "send one soldier,or spend one dollar" to defeatthe Iranian rulers he added,but only has to "stop appeas-ing the regime and take the

[MEK's] name off the list."Lobbying disclosure recordsshow that Saeid Ghaemi hiredDLA Piper in November 2004,and that Armey joined theteam representing him in thefirst half of 2005. Over time,the team has lobbied Con-gress; the Defense, State, andTreasury departments; andthe National Security Council.

National Journal made re-peated calls to Armey's officefor comment and information

on how he became a supporterof the MEK. The office referredall calls to a DLA Piper spokes-man, who provided no infor-mation.

Last year, Armey and theother lobbyists also worked onGhaemi's behalf for a Housemeasure urging the secretaryof State to designate the QudsForce of Iran's Islamic Revolu-tionary Guards Corps as a for-eign terrorist organization.Shortly after a broader meas-ure targeting Iran and theQuds Force overwhelminglypassed the House last fall,Secretary of State Condo-leezza Rice designated theforce a terrorist group.

DLA Piper also lobbied in theSenate for the Iran HumanRights Act of 2007 that would,among other things, expandU.S. support for Iranian oppo-sition groups to include thoseoutside Iran, and would estab-lish a State Department envoyto reach out to such groups.


12/12


The BriefingPublication of

Nejat Society

The law prohibitsanyone in the UnitedStates or subject toits laws from provid-ing "material supportor resources" to adesignated foreignterrorist organization.But these financial

sanctions don't pro-hibit "U.S. citizensfrom expressing theirviews on economicsanctions matters --and that includes thedesignation of theMEK -- to Congress orthe Executive Branch"according to theTreasury Department,whose Office of For-eign Assets Controloversees the sanc-tions. Bill Livingstone,

who worked with hisbrother Neil on the2006 report, said thatthe authors madesure the report didnot violate Treasury'srules.

"The First Amend-ment protects DickArmey to make hisopinions known, andprotects the Iran Pol-icy Committee's edu-cational mission to

find options to rein-force our diplomacy"toward Iran, Tantersaid. He has hired anattorney who special-izes in the arcaneTreasury rules andcontends that hisgroup tries "to vetour money to makesure we're not gettingany" from prohibitedgroups. Tanter alsopoints out that sev-eral of his group's

advisers and directorsare retired militaryand intelligence offi-cers with securityclearances that theywould do nothing tojeopardize.

The effect of Armey'sand Tanter's efforts isunclear. So far, theMEK's efforts to shedits terrorist designa-tion have met with farmore success inEurope than here.

Tanter, like someother MEK defenders,says he supports thegroup because it isthe only oppositionorganization thatreally worries themullahs in Tehran. "Idid an analysis of all

the opposition groupsand found that the[Islamic Iranian] re-gime paid attention to[the MEK] 350 per-cent more than all theothers. I am not hereto lobby on behalf ofgroups on the foreignterrorist organizationlist. I am an Americantrying to preserveAmerican nationalsecurity abroad andsave lives."

Tanter's tax-exemptIran Policy Committeehas raised a substan-tial amount of moneyin a short period oftime. In its latest fil-ing with the InternalRevenue Service, thegroup reported reve-nues of nearly$917,000 -- withTanter receivingabout $102,000 insalary, and the

group's co-chairs,Bruce McColm andChuck Nash, gettingjust over $32,000 and$21,000, respec-tively.

Tanter says his groupraises money on theWeb and fromspeeches. "Every timeI speak before a pro-Israel group or ananti-Iranian-regimegroup, hundreds ofpeople show up, andif I'm in Europe, thou-sands show up," hesaid. The averagecontribution is lessthan $1,000, he said,but some have beensix- and seven-figuredonations from hisformer students whonow "make a killing"on Wall Street and"remember me."Tanter added that hedrew on his retire-ment money to start

court decisions man-dating that the Euro-pean Union unfreezethe group's assetsand that Great Britainremove it from thatcountry's list of ter-rorist groups. TheBritish government

says it intends to ap-peal.

Although the StateDepartment is re-quired to review itsdesignation of theMEK later this year,the group's support-ers fear that the deci-sion will reflect a po-litical climate that hasbecome less sympa-thetic to their cause.Administration hard-

liners, who have lostground to pragma-tists, have been fur-ther undercut by therecent National Intel-ligence Estimate stat-ing that Iran stoppedits nuclear weaponsprogram in 2003 -- aconclusion that theMEK disputes. "Thisso-called hard-line[Bush] administrationis more interested instriking a grand bar-

gain with Iran thanthe E.U. is," Tantersaid. He and otherMEK boosters alsocontend that if rela-tions with Tehranworsen, the MEK'sprospects could re-vive.

The neoconservativecommunity, wherethe MEK has foundsupport in the past,has become sharplydivided, with criticsbecoming as vocal assupporters in conser-vative publications. Idon't think any ad-ministration is goingto want to includethem," said Rodman,who describes himselfas a hard-line oppo-nent of the Tehranregime. "Everyonehas rejected [theMEK]. They're not thekind of people wewant to work with."

Address

E-mail: [email protected]

P.O. Box 14395/679, Tehran

Fax: 88 96 10 31

Were on the web

www.nejatngo.org

N ej at Society

Nejat Newsletter - ISSUE 20

Documents

Transcript of Nejat Newsletter - ISSUE 20